JohnX14
Well-known member
What model MC is that? I had the same colors on an XT22 a few years ago.
Just for fun, could you post more pictures? The top and bottom box while still showing a bit of the conduit as well as both in the same photo but closer than in this picture. I'm curious about what in the world is going on. It appears that the conduit comes straight down from the top box and is supported by a minnie clamp, but has a backwards box offset to get into the bottom box. I want to tell myself that can't be and there is something out there I'm not familiar with. Or, my eyes are playing tricks on me...again.

Thank you. It's what I thought it was. He must have put a spacer behind the pipe clamp. That wouldn't have been necessary if the offset were at the top, which is the way I used to do it. It doesn't matter now and there's nothing wrong with the way it's done.I think what you're describing is exactly how it is. The top boxes are slightly spaced off the wall for the horizontal conduit to clear the ribs. I guess the offset could have been at the top or bottom, but it is at the bottom. IS this the pic you wanted to see more closely? Is it an issue or is it just normally done the other way? The ribs on the wall do make things interesting.
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If I'm using a metal box, then I'm probably using EMT and not pulling a ground at all. If for some reason a ground wire is present because I've used Romex, MC cable, PVC, or someone else did it, I will bond it to the box and I'm done. No grounds are getting connected to the receptacle.
You can pigtail the grounds and connect to the box and be done with it. It's what I do and it makes it much easier to mount the cover with the devices when there are two fewer #12 wires to shove back.I have a similar question as the OP.
I have 4x4 steel boxes too and they're mounted to the steel in my all welded steel building. So as I see it the whole steel structure is the grounding conductor. ??
I used romex to wire this building but am wondering about grounding the box or just the receptacles.
In sparkys quote it should be ok to just ground the box and use self grounding receptacles correct? Or just ground each receptacle?
I have prewired some of the boxes and twisted the grounds but left a single long tail to daisy chain the ground to both receptacles in the box or I could just ground that tail to the box and skip the daisy chain.
Furthermore each of these boxes have 2 circuits. I used 3 wire w/ground so every other receptacle would be on a different circuit but only use one romex.
How would you wire this box? Pigtails wired to the in and out or just have the in and out land on the receptacle?
I would probably still pigtail the neutral and not rely on the receptacle to carry that load. I don't like open neutrals and especially on what is basically a 240 volt circuit.
You can pigtail the grounds and connect to the box and be done with it. It's what I do and it makes it much easier to mount the cover with the devices when there are two fewer #12 wires to shove back.
The raised part in the back of the box is tapped to accept a 10/32 ground screw (the green screws available at any box store).
Feeding through is a bad idea, doubly bad with a MWBC. Pigtail everythingSounds good! Yeah I figured the less wires to shove in the hole the better. I assumed these boxes would have came with a screw but oh well not a big deal.
What about the dual circuits? Pigtail each one or just land it on the receptacle and let it feed through to the next box?
If I land the wires on the receptacle I was going to use backwired with a screw instead of wrapping them. Not to be confused with back stabbing..those things are gross and would never use it.